Effect of ethidium bromide on transplanted virus-induced tumor cells

Ethidium bromide (2,3-diamino-5-ethyl-6-phenylphenanthridinium bromide) significantly inhibited the RNA-dependent DNA polymerase of types A and C particles isolated from transplanted adenovirus 12-induced tumors of CBA mice. It was also cytotoxic for an established in vitro line of adenovirus 12-induced tumor cells of CBA mice and caused cell death, inhibition of [3H]thymidine uptake, and a significant reduction of cells in metaphase. Ethidium bromide significantly inhibited the in vivo growth of transplanted adenovirus 12-induced tumor cells of CBA mice, simian virus 40-induced tumor cells of hamsters, and murine leukemia virus-induced lymphoma cells of BALB/c mice. The compound may have exerted the antitumor activity by selectively affecting oncornavirus in the tumor cells.